The Derivation of Modern Cannabis Varieties

Considering the ancient importance of cannabis and the current trend toward its deregulation worldwide, it is imperative to develop best management practices to legitimize the crop. The genetic backgrounds of commercially-sold varieties must be determined in order to standardize the products produced from them and to efficiently improve them for future needs. Currently the genetic backgrounds of most cannabis varieties are unknown or suspect. It is possible that some are merely clones of other varieties. By utilizing modern tools of genetic analyses, the identities of all or most existing varieties, as well as their parentages, will be determined. As with all major crops, understanding varietal identity is a crucial step required to modernize the cannabis industry. This article describes and explores the derivation of 601 modern varieties in order to provide a fundamental point of reference for scientists to study cannabis genetics in the future.